Electric and hybrid-electric vehicles use a power-storing device in the form of a battery to generate driving force, either alone or in combination with an internal combustion engine. In a fully-electric vehicle, the battery must be externally charged, for example, at a vehicle charging station using a charging cable extending from the charging station to a connector that interfaces with a charge inlet on the vehicle. The charging rate depends on the temperature of the various components within the charging system. The more quickly the battery charges at the charging station, the less wait time is required for the user.
During charging, and particularly during direct-current fast charging, resistive heat is generated by the charging current based on a change in entropy of the battery, and heat is released into the charging cable, the connector, the charge inlet, and the battery, raising the temperature of these current-carrying components. The higher the charging rate or the charging current, the higher the heat generation, limiting the overall rate of charge and increasing the wait time for the user. Existing charging systems rely on vehicle-based components such as a radiator and a fan to cool the battery during charging. The battery or internal combustion engine must expend power to operate these components, creating a noisy charging environment for the user and increasing charging time.